


By Your Side

by ForLoveOfLiberTea



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha America (Hetalia), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Model x Popular Singer AU, Modeling, News Media, Omega England (Hetalia), Paparazzi, Rumors, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-04-25 10:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14377176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForLoveOfLiberTea/pseuds/ForLoveOfLiberTea
Summary: It all started when the paparazzi caught sight of his ring.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Admittedly, this was supposed to be one of my Valentine's Day fics for this year, though obviously I never managed to finish this on time. Though this was originally meant to be a oneshot, I'm cutting it into a chapter-by-chapter fic, since it seems that was how I unfortunately formatted this thing.
> 
> Hopefully you enjoy my shameless indulgence in this AU nonetheless. :)

_“Are you happy?”_

_He spared him a glance, his features still set in his default scowl. “Why do you ask, Jones?”_

_The tall Alpha lifted a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug, swinging his legs back and forth. He was sitting on top of one of the desks in the student council room, which was empty aside from the two of them. “Nothing important, really,” he replied after a brief pause, the underside of his beat-up sneakers finally coming to a rest against the dirtied wood of the desk. “I was just wondering.”_

_The other boy hummed in return, unimpressed. “Really.” He said dryly, tapping his pen against the latest of the documents he’d been busying himself with for the past couple of hours. “And here I thought the tough delinquent finally grew a heart.”_

_His voice, laced with such derisiveness, authority and sarcasm, had always been his primary weapon against the few and far between—yet undoubtedly notorious—troublemakers of New Haven Academy, and had brought him to his feared position of Student Council President despite being an Omega. He had always been a fighter, and no one, be they an Omega, a Beta, or even an Alpha, had managed to thwart him for long._

_Though, apparently, Alfred ‘The Conqueror’ Jones was the exception._

_The aforementioned junior laughed, running a hand through his hair as the appealing scent of sandalwood and coffee permeated the fall air. “I do have a heart, darlin’,” he crooned sweetly, supplementing the tease with his customary wink which never failed to infuriate the Briton to no end._

_“You just stole it away from me.”_

_The Omega snorted, rolling his eyes in return. “How many times have I told you?” He quipped, resting his chin upon a hand as he refused to let his lips be pulled up into a fond smile. (He was failing, and the Alpha knew it, seeing the delightfully adoring quirk of that mouth despite Arthur’s best efforts.) “Flirting with me won’t make me let you escape your detention for some bloody stupid prank you did.”_

_Alfred grinned, hopping off his perch. The Alpha nimbly landed on his feet, striding his way to the student council president’s desk with the air of a man who knew what he wanted—and he knew that he was going to get it._

_“I ain’t flirting with you just for that, Artie.” The heady, intoxicating scent swirled around him, making his skin flush with colour and his heart stutter within the confines of his chest. He swallowed thickly as the taller boy’s hand came up to cup his cheek, and that infamous, mischievous grin brushed against his lips in a brief, teasing kiss._

_“You stole my heart—it’s only fair if I get to keep yours, too.”_

**~ § ~**

The barest caress upon his lips gradually succeeded in withdrawing him from the depths of slumber. He felt warm, cocooned in a blanket of bliss, and he sank further into the confines of the arms which were surely wrapped around him.

A laugh tickled the back of his neck, as soft as the kisses which were pressed there soon after. “Darlin’,” inquisitive fingers pressed gently against the ridges of his bare hips, skating their way up the curve of his waist and along the swell of his abdomen before coming to a rest there, splayed protectively over the still small bump. “You have to wake up, y’know.”

A disgruntled noise came from deep in his throat, and Arthur snuggled even further against his Alpha’s warmth, his back against the taller’s chest. He could feel the rumble of Alfred’s laughter, made even more evident at the fact that there was no barrier—not a stitch of clothing—between them as the American nuzzled at the bared swathe of his neck.

“Nn… I don’t want to..” The Briton murmured in response, resisting the urge to shiver as cool lips deliberately brushed against his prominent mating mark. A breathy sound escaped despite his best efforts, followed soon after by a pleased hum as the Alpha began tracing small circles upon his abdomen. “..Can’t I just stay here?”

“No can do, Artie.”

He huffed in exasperation, giving in to his husband’s whims. Alfred wouldn’t shut up until he did as he was told, after all. A fond smile greeted him as he opened his eyes, and Arthur couldn’t help himself as his lips pulled up into a loving one of his own. 

Alfred leaned in, kissing him as softly and sweetly as he usually did. “G’morning, sweetheart,” he whispered against his Omega’s smile, a hand still resting upon the Briton’s baby bump. “Are you and Junior still doing alright?”

He rolled his eyes, reaching up to cup his Alpha’s cheek. “Never been better,” he reassured, rewarding his persistent mate with a brief kiss. 

It was moments like these that Arthur loved the most—despite being married for nearly four years, he still found that the simplest moments were the most precious of all. Moments which he spent with his darling husband between the sheets, limbs tangled together as they revelled in their closeness, holding each other close and whispering sweet nothings. It was only in these times when he could assure himself that he was loved, that he loved his mate as much in return, and that at the end of the day, they would still love each other, no matter what.

It was the best reward he could ever hope for after long days and sleepless nights apart whenever he had to go on tour, on an interview, or a press conference miles away. 

Arthur looked up at his Alpha as he pulled away from their kiss, smiling at the loving gaze in those blue eyes. “I love you, dearest,” he murmured as Alfred caressed his cheek, pressing his lips to his forehead. “I can’t believe I never say that as often as you do.”

“I love you too, darlin’,” the American grinned, lowering his head to press a kiss upon his husband’s chest right over his heart, where his wedding ring lay, strung upon a chain around his neck. 

“And I know you love me even when you don’t say it.”


	2. Chapter 2

_He’s just a boy._

** The boy you fell in love with. **

_He’s one out of millions of Alphas._

** But there’s no one else exactly like _him,_ is there? **

_“Damn it…” Arthur ran a hand through his hair, tangling his fingers around messy golden locks and tugging fiercely. The pain was a dull buzz, unable to overcome the agony which lanced through his heart as the tears blurred his vision. He gritted his teeth, doubling over with his head in his hands._

_“Damn it all to hell!”_

_He couldn’t forget—how could he? Even now he could still feel the way those lips met his with every kiss, the way those hands held him close and cradled his face as though he was the most precious thing he’d ever had. He could still remember the way those blue eyes shone, brighter than any jewel as that boy prattled on about nonsensical things. He remembered the way he breathed those three words against his lips, as if it was a treasured secret between the two of them._

_He couldn’t forget._

_“I want to forget you,” he whispered, hoarse and broken as his tears kept flowing in endless streams down his cheeks. Arthur closed his eyes, disentangling his fingers from golden locks, burying his face into his palms. “I want to forget everything about you.”_

_He was a fool. He was a stupid, stupid fool who was still desperately in love._

_The proof had been there before his eyes, in the way he had held her so closely as if there wasn’t anyone else in the world, in the way his lips had been pressed against another’s own. Arthur was a fool, yes, but even he could tell when he was being played with._

_It was unfortunate that he’d realized it too late in the game._

**~ § ~**

  
“Darlin’?”

Green eyes looked up from perusing heavily ink-stained music sheets. “What is it, love?” 

Alfred turned around, clothed in nothing but aged gray sweatpants and a frilly blue apron. His brow had furrowed in confusion as he looked over at a jug of milk. “What did you want for breakfast, again? Is Junior craving anything at the moment?” 

The Omega glanced at his husband with a small, amused smile, stifling a peal of laughter behind a hand. “No, dearest,” he replied fondly, placing a hand over his swollen abdomen, “our child isn’t in want of anything as of yet, but I believe I’ve told you that I’m fine with your dreaded pancakes and some fruit for breakfast.” 

“Are you sure?” He raised a brow in questioning, before turning back to his work and busying himself with cooking the requested pancakes. “I can always whip up something else if ya’ want.” 

Arthur rolled his eyes, shuffling his papers into an organized pile. “I’m quite sure, Al,” he cleared off his things, placing them in their respective folders as he checked his phone for any notifications. 

He fell silent, barely even noticing his husband’s faint singing. The Omega tapped a few times on his phone’s screen, scrolling down the line of messages and missed calls. 

True, while he was relatively popular in the music industry—a description which Alfred would claim to be a ridiculous underestimation of how well-known he really was—Arthur hardly gave a damn about the rumors which hounded his every step. It was part of the package, after all. By being thrown headfirst into the limelight, it merely served to illuminate almost every single thing there was about him that could be known. Every ‘fact’ which was discovered about his lifestyle and relationships was scrutinized by millions of prying eyes all around the globe, leaving him with little to no privacy at all. 

He’d likened it to drowning in a glass cage while being put on display—the pressure of stardom stealing his breath away as strangers criticized every inhale and exhale he took. There was no freedom in the popularity, no form of relief in the masks he put on every time he went onstage. This was the life he had chosen the moment he had signed that contract, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Arthur might be drowning in the pressure and expectations he had to live up to, but Alfred was always there, giving him life and supporting him all throughout the sleepless nights and scandals, the writer’s blocks and the depression, the joys and the triumphs. Alfred was belonged to him, and him alone—his safe haven, whom no stranger nor pair of prying eyes knew about nor ever caught a glimpse of. 

He had wanted it that way, to keep his marriage a secret from the gossip-hungry hounds disguised as the media. Alfred had readily agreed, never being one to enjoy the scorching heat of the limelight. 

His Alpha was a simple man, through and through—he might have been a model, but he did so for it was his passion, his art. Where Arthur had his songs, Alfred had his photographs. 

He was a simple man, and Arthur loved him with all his heart. 

So why? Why did this have to happen? 

“Arthur?” A kiss was pressed to his temple, playfully coaxing him for more. Alfred placed a pair of plates piled high with freshly cooked pancakes topped with whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries onto the dining table, sliding into the seat next to his motionless husband. “Artie, sweetheart, breakfast’s ready.” 

The Briton paid him no heed, his gaze locked onto the words on his phone’s screen. The words were there, lingering on his tongue and taking his throat hostage, and he couldn’t say a word. 

“Darlin’, if ya’ didn’t want to eat, you should have said so,” Alfred teased, nuzzling into the exposed skin of his Omega’s neck, leaving a delicate kiss there. “I can finish these up, no problem, but Junior wouldn’t want his Mommy to go hungry. So come on, eat up, sweetheart.” 

“...Alfred.” He finally whispered, tearing his horrified stare away from his phone’s screen. 

_Why did he have to lose his safe haven?_

The Alpha hummed, brushing his lips upon the Omega’s mating mark. “Yeah, darlin’?” Those blue eyes darted up to meet haunted emerald, and he immediately stiffened. “S’there anything wrong? Do I have to kick some ass? Did anyone spread those stupid rumors about you again?” 

“Al..” Arthur dropped his phone onto the table, reaching out for his husband’s comforting warmth. He buried his head into that firm chest, breathing in that familiar scent of sandalwood and coffee as he tried to keep himself from trembling. 

“They _know,_ Alfred… _They know about us.”_


	3. Chapter 3

"Alas, my love, you do me wrong, to cast me off discourteously..” _his fingers listlessly plucked the strings in the rhythm as he gazed out at the courtyard in thought. Arthur sighed, resting his head against the window pane as his tears blurred his vision once more._

“For I have loved you well and long, delighting in your company…”

_He reached up, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand, the other carefully cradling his guitar close to his torso. “No more,” he murmured, his voice still rough and hoarse, tinged with the melancholy of a broken heart. “No more tears, old chap, you ought to start moving on, no need to dwell on what’s over and done with.”_

_The Omega smiled bitterly, strumming his guitar in a slow, heartbreaking rhythm. “But I can’t let him go. And that’s what hurts the most.”_

_Outside his door, a young man sat on the pristine tiles, knees drawn to his chest and tears clouding his sky-blue eyes._

“Greensleeves was all my joy,” _Alfred sang beneath his breath, his eyes fluttering shut as he listened to the broken sobs accompanying the bittersweet melody of a guitar._ “Greensleeves was my delight… Greensleeves was my heart of gold..”

_He stood up, pushing the door open. The Alpha stood in the threshold, watching the Student Council President as the older boy got to his feet, emerald-green eyes wide with surprise and betrayal as he held his guitar close to his chest._

“And who but my lady Greensleeves…”

**~ § ~**

‘Scared’ was not enough of a word to describe the intensity of the crushing weight of his emotions right now. Beads of sweat had long soaked his palm, making it hard to hold onto his husband’s hand, yet still he tried to hold on—for him. For the two of them, and for their still-unborn child.

Alfred F. Jones-Kirkland was a hero to his Omega mate and growing family, but he was only human.

And he was terrified.

It was only his second time to have entered this particular room in the time that Arthur had been contracted as a singer for this particular label. Everything was monochrome: an ombré carpet padding the floor, a pair of sleek black couches set on either end of a glass coffee table, and shelves upon shelves of pictures with famous music icons all throughout history lining the ivory walls. There was a door made of teakwood to the far right of the room, and Alfred knew that it led to the manager’s private office. 

The Alpha stood beside his husband, rubbing comforting circles into the back of the Omega’s hand with his thumb. Arthur looked calm, determined—like a proud, fierce warrior about to go to war. He had a hand settled lightly over his baby bump, fingers splayed protectively over their unborn child. 

“You okay, sweetheart?” He offered a tentative grin, a brave attempt to settle their nerves. It did little to help, yet Arthur offered a smaller, more hesitant one of his own in return. Despite everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, his husband still did his best to make him smile, no matter what. 

The Omega dipped his head in a nod, leaning against the taller male in search of comfort and assurance. “I’m fine, love,” he murmured in reply, soothing their restless child with a brief hum. “Just…” Arthur trailed off uncertainly, not quite knowing what to say.

“Terrified?” Alfred sighed, lifting their clasped hands to press a series of kisses to the Briton’s fingertips.

A short, sarcastic chuckle emitted from between the Omega’s pale lips. “Quite right,” he said flatly, darting his gaze away in a futile attempt to hide the obvious worry in his evergreen eyes. Still, his husband noticed, and Alfred leaned down, kissing the crown of the Briton’s head. 

“It’ll be fine, darlin’,” he whispered sweetly, “we’ll be fine. We’ll get through this together.”

And Arthur smiled. “As long as you’re by my side, dearest,” he murmured, squeezing his husband’s hand gently, reassuringly. 

His manager, a young Japanese Beta named Kiku Honda came in, offering them a brief nod as he held the door open to his office. It was time.

Alfred F. Jones-Kirkland was a hero to his Omega mate and his growing family, but he was only human. And Arthur loved him still.

“As long as you’re by my side,” Alfred whispered into Arthur’s ear, “we can do anything.”

They smiled, holding hands as they stepped through the doorway, together.

“It’s us against the world.”


	4. epilogue

“Mum, I think Dad is an idiot.”

Seven words, twenty-one letters. A pair of seemingly innocent bright blue eyes stared up at him as seriously as they could get when one was barely ten years of age, and Arthur stifled a laugh behind a delicate hand. He heard a loud, affronted gasp from the Alpha in question, an evident protest against the young one’s blunt statement, and this time Arthur didn’t bother to muffle the chuckle which bubbled up from deep within his throat.

“Why is that, Peter?” He gently ran his fingers through his firstborn son’s hair as the little Alpha squirmed and clambered onto his mother’s lap, staring straight into Arthur’s bright green eyes and completely ignoring his father’s mumbled complaints. (“I’m not an idiot, Artie, don’t believe him.. I knew I’d regret wishing that someday he’d get his mother’s intelligence.. So this is what I get in return? _Unbelievable…”)_

Alfred earned an elbow to his gut for his efforts, and Arthur earned some blessed silence in return. The Omega turned back to his son, completely disregarding the whines which came from his husband’s lips and the almost desperate nuzzling to his neck and shoulder which he received in an obvious ploy to garner his attention.

His self-control was remarkable, to put it bluntly. But then again, he had been married to this particularly childish and somewhat obnoxious (but adorable) Alpha for nearly a decade and a half, so his resilience against his antics and whimsical scent was something to be feared—or admired, whichever reaction was to be gained in the views of others who did not know them well.

Little Peter Kirkland-Jones glared at his father with surprising intensity, his tone of voice almost accusing. “You said that Dad kissed somebody else, so why’d you still marry him? You, Gran’ma and all the Aunties and Uncles always says..” he paused, fiddling with the hem of his nightshirt, “that you only kiss the person you love.”

Arthur tensed, and Alfred grew rigid beside him, a sense of guilt pervading his scent and washing away the mirth that had previously been there.

“I know Dad loves you,” Peter continued quietly, looking down at his hands. “But that doesn’t mean that he should’ve hurt you before. He’s an idiot because he hurt you a lot. If Dad really loves you, then why’d he kiss someone else?” He looked up, blue eyes blazing with curiosity and accusation, and he gripped his mother's shirt even tighter, "Why'd you still marry Dad, Mum?"

Alfred sighed, heavy and worn with the years, and he looked down at his son with a small, sad smile. “Peter, do you still remember why we wanted to tell you this story?” He asked softly, his voice lacking his usual exuberance. The child nodded, looking just a bit suspicious of where this conversation was going.

“You said you wanted me to know how you and Mum came together.”

“Exactly,” Arthur nodded, closing his eyes and placing a hand over his abdomen, rubbing circles over the slight bump there. “I know it sounds stupid, but not every relationship is as easy and as cut-and-dry as they sound in fairytales, Peter. Your father and I went through a lot of trouble, and we gave each other hell for it every single time, but do you know what kept us going?”

Peter cocked his head to the side, confusion etched into his features. Arthur smiled, feeling the barest caress of lips over the mating mark upon the junction between his neck and shoulder, the familiar sensation of Alfred’s warm hand splayed over his own atop the little life growing inside him once again. 

“What? What is it?” He whispered, a little enchanted by the soft smile upon his mother’s features.

_“Love. ”_ Arthur said simply, a small laugh escaping his lips as he shook his head, internally berating himself for sounding so stupidly sentimental. The familiar rumble of laughter sounded from behind him and he blushed, elbowing his husband as Alfred continued to laugh, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “But just loving each other doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a wonderful relationship immediately. If both of you fail to nurture that fragile little thing, then it means nothing at all. There are many other things which you need to make a relationship work, to make everything worth it.”

Alfred sighed softly, fingertips tracing small circles upon his Omega’s abdomen. “Maybe you’ve figured it out, but we almost gave up on each other,” he offered a small, bitter smile. “Several times, we’ve fought about the most insignificant and most important of things, we’ve cried and threatened to end everything and we’ve made up, but at the end of the day, we both knew one simple thing, Peter,” he reached out, placing a hand on his son’s shoulder. 

“Everything worth having is worth fighting for,” he said with a smile. “And we loved each other far too much to let go.”

Arthur ran a hand through his son’s hair—a valiant (if somewhat useless) effort to tame the wayward locks. “I know it doesn’t really make sense to you now, Peter. Loving someone means that you accept them for who they are; faults, mistakes, and insecurities included with their likeable qualities in one big, messy package. Loving someone means you’ll forgive them no matter how many times they’ve done something wrong. Loving someone means that you’ll stay by their side through thick and thin, no matter the odds, no matter the circumstances.

“I know you and Alice don’t get along all that well,” he raised a brow, and Peter huffed, pointedly looking away. “But she’s still your sister.”

“Alice is a meanie,” Peter mumbled, huffing indignantly as Arthur sighed and tapped his nose in retaliation. Irked, he batted his mother’s hand away and earning a calculating look in return. 

Arthur crossed his arms, once again ignoring his husband’s stifled snickers. Honestly, couldn’t he be serious just for a moment or two? “Remember what we’ve just told you, Peter,” he reminded, tapping the tip of the boy’s nose once more. “You’re the older one out of the two of you. And now that you have a little brother on the way, too,” he smiled, leaning back against his Alpha’s steady warmth as he took his son’s hand, and gently placed his hand upon the somewhat evident curve of his abdomen. It was a trio of hands upon the swell of his baby bump, a mini representation of his growing family to protect, to nurture, and to love.

“Your father and I trust you to love and protect your siblings, no matter what.”

Peter looked up at his mother, several emotions flickering through his features as he looked up into those bright green eyes—awe, understanding, determination. He nodded, a fierce light in his eyes as he grinned. “I promise, Mum.”

Alfred smiled at his little family, leaning in close to press a kiss to his Omega’s temple, then upon his eldest’s forehead, pausing to turn around to brush his lips to the cheek of the six-year-old Alpha who lay curled up at his side, deeply asleep. He glanced up at his husband, who was watching him with fondness clear in his eyes, before he turned to look at his son. 

Young as he was, Peter sat before them with the endearing exuberance and determination of an Alpha who was ready to take on everything and anything to protect and care for those he loved. And Alfred couldn’t be any prouder, wrapping his Omega and child in a large hug, much to their adamant protests. (“Alfred, stop being so touchy-feely, damn it!” “Mum, language!”)

He laughed at their half-hearted attempts to get free, swiftly followed by Peter’s barely muffled snickers, and Arthur soon joined in, for once avoiding the constant buzzing of his phone, which kept lighting up every few seconds with a new notification. Most, if not all of them, were either from his manager, from news updates, and from friends and family who kept track of the perpetual changes in the entertainment industry.

Eighteen years ago, his peers knew him as Arthur Kirkland, Student Council President and the most feared Omega in all of the halls of New Haven Academy—untouchable, unstoppable, unattainable. Ten years ago, the world knew him merely as Arthur Kirkland, popular singer-songwriter, enigma and beloved by the people for his songs and refreshing sincerity when faced with the public.

“Mum, can you please sing me a song?” Peter asked hopefully, earning a fond smile and a ruffle of his perpetually messy hair, a trait which he had undoubtedly inherited from his mother. A kiss, pressed upon the top of his head, and Arthur reclined against his Alpha as he regarded his son with one of his rare smiles, loving and made more beautiful by its fleeting appearance.

He lifted his shoulders up in a nonchalant shrug, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Only if your father helps me out,” he teased, earning a mocking, seemingly world-weary sigh from his Alpha. Arthur only laughed in return.

Peter scratched at his cheek, finally offering up a falsely innocent grin. “If Dad absolutely has to.”

With a fond, exasperated shake of his head, Arthur glanced at his Alpha, who nodded and beamed at him, looking for all the world like an excited child. Honestly, Arthur wondered about him sometimes.

_“I'm just listening to the clock go ticking, I am waiting as the time goes by…”_ he began softly, looking up at his husband with a small knowing smile. _"I think of you with every breath I take.. I need to feel your heartbeat next to mine…”_

Arthur paused as Alfred took his hand, lifting it up to press a kiss to the ring upon his finger. A blush colored his cheeks, and he swatted at him in false annoyance, his mirth betrayed by the smile which lingered upon his lips as he looked into those bright blue eyes. 

_“You're all I see.. in everything…”_

He closed his eyes, smiling to himself as his Alpha’s lips pressed against his temple, curving up into a smile. Alfred grinned at his son, who rolled his eyes, pretending to puke at his parents’ affections, though he too had been grinning. With a wink, the Alpha nuzzled closer to his Omega, his voice soft and loving as he sang, _“I just wanna hold you, I just wanna kiss you—I just wanna love you all my life… I normally wouldn't say this, but I just can't contain it..”_

Arthur scoffed, his protests quickly halted by a kiss pressed to his cheek. Alfred merely smiled at him, affection clear in his eyes as he sang the next line, _“I want you here forever right here by my side..”_

“You’re a dork,” the Omega mumbled, poking his Alpha’s side. Alfred laughed, nuzzling against his cheek in a small gesture of his affection. “A sappy, annoying dork.”

“Love you too, darlin’,” he whispered into his ear, and he stifled a laugh as he received an elbow to his side for his efforts. _“All the fears you feel inside, and all the tears you've cried,”_ he looked at his husband, fingertips gently caressing the curve of his cheek as a blush colored his cheeks. _"They're ending right here… I'll heal your heart and soul…”_

_“I'll keep you all so close..”_ Alfred leaned in, pressing a kiss to his love’s forehead, right between the eyebrows he always teased him for and loved as dearly as he loved every part of him. _”Don’t worry; I'll never let you go… You're all I need..”_

Arthur looked up at him, vague amusement clear in his eyes, along with a glint of insecurity. Now, that wouldn’t do, Alfred thought to himself. Those green eyes fluttered closed, hiding his tears, and he whispered the next line of the song against those parted lips. _“You're everything…"_

_“I just wanna hold you, I just wanna kiss you.. I just wanna love you all my life...”_ Arthur smiled to himself, rubbing circles into his belly as he glanced over at Peter, who had curled up in the bed beside him with his head in his lap. He looked expectantly at his mother, sighing contentedly as the Omega turned to regard his husband with a small smile. _“I normally wouldn't say this but I just can't contain it..”_

Alfred was grinning at him, just the way he used to do when they had still been in high school, just two young students stupidly, deeply in love. _“I want you here forever right here by my side…”_

Eighteen years ago, his peers knew him as Arthur Kirkland, Student Council President and the most feared Omega in all of the halls of New Haven Academy—untouchable, unstoppable, unattainable. Ten years ago, the world knew him merely as Arthur Kirkland, popular singer-songwriter, enigma and beloved by the people for his songs and refreshing sincerity when faced with the public.

His phone buzzed once more, lighting up with a message from his manager, informing him of yet another interview with some journalist or other regarding the upcoming release of his newest song. He ignored it, opting to lean against his Alpha, surrounded by their little family. 

_"No one else would ever do, I've got a stubborn heart for you..”_ Arthur glanced up at Alfred, a smirk slowly forming upon his lips as his husband laughed, pressing his lips to his cheek even as his amusement rumbled throughout his frame. _“Call me crazy but it's true..”_

A kiss to his temple, a hand joining the one the Omega had splayed protectively over his baby bump. Alfred leaned down, whispering into his ear, _“I love you…”_

_“I didn't think that it would be you who made it clear to me,”_ Alfred chuckled warmly, effectively avoiding the hand which attempted to pinch his side. Honestly, his Alpha was a sap. _“You're all I need…”_

Arthur huffed petulantly, futilely trying his level best to move away from his husband’s hold. His efforts were in vain, however, and he sighed, tilting his head to one side and letting his Alpha lavish him in his affectionate gestures.

_“I just wanna hold you,”_ Alfred murmured against his skin, smiling as he felt Arthur shiver beneath his touch, _"I just wanna kiss you… I just wanna love you all my life..”_

Arthur closed his eyes, a small smile dancing upon his lips. Ten years ago, he wouldn’t have imagined that he would come this far, with a mate who loved him dearly and children who looked up to him, and a career which provided him with both happiness and the means to help in providing financial stability to his family. 

Ten years ago, the world knew him merely as Arthur Kirkland, popular singer-songwriter and enigma.

Arthur took his phone, reading the message his manager had sent to him with a small, proud smile. He set it down upon his nightstand, right beside the framed picture of his little family, before he relaxed into his husband’s hold with a contented sigh, gazing up at his husband.

_“I normally wouldn't say this, but I just can't contain it,”_ Arthur turned his head, carefully pulling Alfred down to feel the gentle press of his lips upon his own, the last line of _their_ newest song skimming along the curve of his husband’s smiling mouth. 

_“I want you here forever right here by my side…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This really took a long time to write, oh my God. It was so hard to write. T_T 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this little story all the same. ^_^
> 
> Song: _"By My Side"_ by David Choi.


End file.
